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10. TEXTILE SCAFFOLD

RESEARCH

We started with an incredibly insightful presentation by Anastasia Pistofidou.

For my projects I focused on leather molding and crystallization, exploring how organic and structural forms can intersect in design.

LEATHER MOLDING

It’s a traditional technique that involves shaping leather into a desired form by softening it with water or heat and pressing it onto a mold or frame. The process allows for the creation of intricate, sculptural designs as the leather conforms to the contours of the mold. Once dried, the leather hardens and retains its new shape. This method emphasizes the natural flexibility and durability of leather, resulting in unique, textured forms.

My idea was inspired by sculptural silhouettes and spiky textures. The corset design focuses on molded leather forms combined with sharp spikes for a bold statement.

ARTISTS INSPO

ESTHER PERBANDT

Esther Perbandt, a Berlin-based avant-garde designer, is known for her innovative approach to fashion that merges strength and craftsmanship. Her “To The Moon” project explores leather molding as a technique to create sculptural, body-hugging forms that appear both organic and futuristic>

KOFTA STUDIO

Kofta Studio, led by Ukrainian designer Konstantin Kofta, is renowned for his fashion and accessories pieces that blend art, architecture, and nature. The studio pushes boundaries by crafting sculptural leather pieces that challenge conventional design, transforming bags, shoes, and garments into wearable art mimicing body parts, bones, or natural textures.

CRYSTALIZATION

Crystalization in fashion is about applying chemical solutions to surfaces like textiles or accessories. This technique adds dimension and visual intrigue, blending science with art to produce unique, unpredictable patterns. It's a method that pushes the boundaries of material exploration.

Crystalverse is a website where you can find a lot of tutorials and instructions on how to grow crystals.

For my project I wanted to crystalise a materials into sculptural, otherworldly forms. The process amplifies texture, turning delicate structures like fabrics into shimmering, hardened artifacts that evoke strength.

ARTISTS INSPO

BATOUL OMAR AL-RASHDAN

Batoul Omar Al-Rashdan’s “Bllura Musa” crystallization collection, developed as part of the Fabricademy program, merges natural inspiration with fashion innovation. Using technologies like 3D printing, crystallization techniques, and computational couture, the collection showcases wearable pieces that mimic salt formations and the raw textures of the Dead Sea.

ALICE POTT

Alice Potts' "INPerspire" project transforms human sweat into wearable art by crystallizing it onto baseball caps. Participants from diverse lifestyles wore the caps for six weeks, allowing their sweat to saturate the fabric. Potts then grew the crystals by placing the caps in a salt solution, highlighting the individuality of each person’s biological makeup.

SIGALIT LANDAU

Sigalit Landau, an artist, reimagines cultural narratives and natural processes in her works, often using the Dead Sea as a transformative medium. In 2014, Landau created a life-size replica of the iconic white wedding dress from The Dybbuk, a play deeply rooted in Jewish tradition, and immersed it in the Dead Sea. Starting as a black dress, symbolic of Hasidic culture and Eastern European shtetls, the fabric underwent a crystallization process, turning it white as salt deposits grew on its surface.

HOW TO: LEATHER MOLDING?

STEP-BY-STEP

  1. Pour boiling water into a bowl and let it cool down to approx. 85 degrees.
  2. Mix 5 tablespoons of baking soda in the water and stir until it is dissolved.
  3. Put the leather in water and leave it for approx. ½ hour until it has become soft. ( the time varies according to the different thicknesses and types! Make a trial with a small piece before!)
  4. Take the leather out of the water and shake off the water.
  5. Place your object on a flat surface (cover it with varnish or thin film for waterproofing)
  6. Place the leather on the selected object and press it down over the object/mold, stretch it and nail it, massage it, until it starts to take shape.
  7. Form sharp edges with the blunt side of a table knife.
  8. Use a blow dryer to make the leather shrink in and solidify over the object.
  9. Optional: Once dried, cover with PVA glue or Polycell Deep Gap Polyfilla on the back side to harden it more.

TIPS + TRICKS

    𖡎 Your molds can be made out of high density plywood. In case you use MDF you need to waterproof it by varnishing it.
    𖡎 Depending on how stiff you need the final to be, you choose not only the correct thickness of leather, but also water temperature and soak time. Figure out the result you're looking for and research accordingly.
    𖡎 Even with the right leather you can get it super stretchy, but without the correct amount of stiffness or you could get it to the point where it would be as hard as plastic, but it will be of no use to you because it will have lost a decent amount of its size, a good amount of its stretch and will no longer form over your mold.
    𖡎 The longer it soaks, the more brittle it can get, as well.
    𖡎 Research and trial and error, but enough research will reduce your errors.
    𖡎 TIP> vegetable-tanned leather works better.

Research

describe what you see in this image

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weekly assignment

Check out the weekly assignment here or login to your NuEval progress and evaluation page.

about your images..delete the tip!!

  1. Remember to credit/reference all your images to their authors. Open source helps us create change faster together, but we all deserve recognition for what we make, design, think, develop.

  2. remember to resize and optimize all your images. You will run out of space and the more data, the more servers, the more cooling systems and energy wasted :) make a choice at every image :)

This image is optimised in size with resolution 72 and passed through tinypng for final optimisation. Remove tips when you don't need them anymore!

get inspired!

Check out and research alumni pages to betetr understand how to document and get inspired

Add your fav alumni's pages as references

References & Inspiration

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  • Two images side-by-side

describe what you see in this image describe what you see in this image


  • Image reference

centered image with credits/reference
  • Download reference

Links to reference files, PDF, booklets,

about your images..

  1. Remember to credit/reference all your images to their authors. Open source helps us create change faster together, but we all deserve recognition for what we make, design, think, develop.

  2. remember to resize and optimize all your images. You will run out of space and the more data, the more servers, the more cooling systems and energy wasted :) make a choice at every image :) This image is optimised in size with resolution 72 and passed through tinypng for final optimisation.

Overview material research outcomes

example from the documentation of Loes Bogers TextileLab Amsterdam 2019-20
Biofoam Gelatin foil Bioresin Biosilicone
Starch Rubber Biolinoleum Alginate net Alginate foil
Alginate string Agar foil Bio composite Reused PLA

Tools

Process and workflow

describe what you see in this image

My first step was too..... Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.

Ingredients & Recipes

Prepare this recipe 1 by collecting the ingredients necessary, to be found in the list below:

=== "ingredients"

    * xxx gr
    * xxx gr
    * xxx gr
    * xxx ml
    * xxx gr

=== "tools"

    * xxx gr
    * xxx gr
    * xxx gr
    * xxx ml
    * xxx gr

=== recipe fishleather and fishskin bio-plastic (food waste)

    * measure - measure - measure
    * add, combine, mix..
    * simmer, cook, boil, freeze, burn, crush...
    * mix, smash, stack, overlay..
    * cast, pour, press..
    * dry, aereate, dehydrate..
    * remove, peel, unmold..
    * finishing touches

Documenting and comparing experiments

TEST SERIE BIO-PLASTIC
Material pic Material name polymer plastifier filler emulsifier
bio-rainbow biokelp powder 12 gr glycerol 100 ml rainbow dust 1 kg green soap a drop
bio-rainbow biokelp powder 12 gr glycerol 100 ml rainbow dust 1 kg green soap a drop
bio-rainbow biokelp powder 12 gr glycerol 100 ml rainbow dust 1 kg green soap a drop
bio-rainbow biokelp powder 12 gr glycerol 100 ml rainbow dust 1 kg green soap a drop
RESULTS

Two ways of showcasing and comparing results with images below

On the left an image of a sample made by xxx with xxx. The dye is more xxx. On the right, an image of a sample made by xxx with xxx and xxx. Here the dye is more xxx.


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Recipes

  1. recipe: salmon skin fish-leather ↩